Director of Operations

Talantir; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific International has been retained by a mid-sized medical device manufacturer to support the search for their North American Head of Operations.

The role leads operations across multiple North American manufacturing and logistics sites, delivering operational excellence, KPI-driven performance, and cross-functional leadership.

Ideal candidate has 20+ years in regulated manufacturing, multi-site experience, and a willingness to travel up to 50%.

Qualifications

• 20+ years of experience leading industrial or manufacturing operations.
• Experience leading multi-site operations in a matrixed, international environment.
• Strong background in operational excellence, Lean practices, and KPI-driven performance management.
• Experience managing budgets and evaluating operational investments.
• Willingness to travel approximately 50%.

Responsibilities

• Lead operations across multiple North American manufacturing and logistics sites, ensuring alignment with global standards and strategy.
• Partner with global and regional leadership to align operational priorities with business objectives.
• Oversee Production, Industrialization, Process Improvement, Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Maintenance functions.
• Define and track KPIs to drive improvements in efficiency, quality, service, inventory, and cost.
• Lead performance improvement initiatives and track measurable results and ROI.
• Develop and execute supply chain and vendor management strategies to optimize quality, cost, and service.
• Evaluate and oversee investments in capacity, productivity, technology, automation, and new product introductions.
• Ensure effective integration of new products into manufacturing operations.
• Own and manage the annual North America operations budget.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, compliance, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Quality, R&D, Commercial, Finance, HR, and international teams.
• Support leadership development and succession planning within operations.

Skills

Operational excellence

Lean methodologies

KPI-driven performance management

Budget management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

About the job:

Pacific International has been retained by a mid-sized medical device manufacturer to support the search for their North American Head of Operations. A European based organization growing in North America via acquisition, they are looking to bring in strong operations leader to drive cohesive process and culture across multiple manufacturing sites.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead operations across multiple North American manufacturing and logistics sites, ensuring alignment with global standards and strategy
• Partner with global and regional leadership to align operational priorities with business objectives
• Oversee Production, Industrialization, Process Improvement, Supply Chain, Purchasing, and Maintenance functions
• Define and track KPIs to drive improvements in efficiency, quality, service, inventory, and cost
• Lead performance improvement initiatives and track measurable results and ROI
• Develop and execute supply chain and vendor management strategies to optimize quality, cost, and service
• Evaluate and oversee investments in capacity, productivity, technology, automation, and new product introductions
• Ensure effective integration of new products into manufacturing operations
• Own and manage the annual North America operations budget
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, compliance, and continuous improvement
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Quality, R&D, Commercial, Finance, HR, and international teams
• Support leadership development and succession planning within operations

Ideal Candidate:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field required
• Master’s degree preferred
• 20+ years of experience leading industrial or manufacturing operations, ideally in medical devices or regulated manufacturing
• Proven experience leading multi-site operations in a matrixed, international environment
• Strong background in operational excellence, Lean practices, and KPI-driven performance management
• Experience managing budgets and evaluating operational investments
• Comfortable working closely with plant teams while maintaining enterprise-level oversight
• Strong communicator with a collaborative and transparent leadership style
• Willingness to travel approximately 50%

Questions? Reach out to Haley Gibson at [e-mail]